Shoe for ladders.



G. D. KLINE & E. NALL.

SHOE FOE LADDERS.

APPLICATION FILED my 23,1914.

, 1,113,446, Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

QEHAHLEE U. KLINE.

g5 EDWARD NALL mom UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE @cHAaLEs D. KLINE AND EDWARD NALL, or AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE GOOD- YEAR TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON,'OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

i v SHOE roe DDERs.

. Specification of Letters Patent. 00 13. 13, 1914..

Application filed May as, 1914. se'riaineeeasoa.

To allwhom may concern: 1

Be itknown that we, CHARLES D. KLINE:

and EnwAno"NALL, citizens of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have, invented new and useful Improvements in Shoes for Ladders, Ofwhichthe following is a specification. a v

This invention relates to improvements in ladder shoes for holding the lower ends of a ladder against slipping, and the object thereof is to provide .a strong, secure and efficient device which can be readily attached to a: ladder and removed therefrom andwhich possesses unusual gripping properties surfor engagement with the floor or other faceon which the ladder rests.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting theinvention to be here-- inafter specifically described andillustrated ence numerals indicate like parts in thein theaccompanying-drawings which form' a part hereof wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within thescope of the matter hereinafter claimed;

In the drawings in which similar referdifl'erent figures, Figure 1, is a view in side elevation of a ladder provided with ladder shoes embodying this invention shown in operative position with respect to a floor and upright structure; Fig. 2, is a view in front elevation of the device shown in Fig; 1; and, Fig. 3, is an end elevation of one of the shoes enlarged, with portions thereofin section to better illustrate the construction thereof. i

In the description and claim, the word floor will be used generically to designate the surface on whichtheladder'r'ests, but

no limitation is intended by the use of this designating word.

In the drawings, the reference numerals 1 and 2 denote respectively a floor andan upright structure against which the ladder is adapted to be placed. The ladder consists of the usual stiles 3 provided with rungs4.

The lower ends of-the stiles of the ladder,

are provided with transverse openings with the axes thereof preferably in alinement with each other. Adapted to be secured to each of the stiles isa ladder-shoe and as they are identical a description of one is believed to be. suflicient.

.the marginalportions with flanges 10 P0- sitioned above the plane of the lower face of the projectihgPortion 9. The flanges 10 are provided with threaded apertures 11 for a purpose to\be laterv described. The under face of the body portion 51is provided with a covering 12\consisting of oneo-r more layers of vulcanizedcellular rubber, such for. instance as sponge rubber, and this cover= ing 12 of rubber is carried laterally over the under faces of the flahgeslO and is held in position through the medium of metallic strips 13 applied tothe under face of those portions of the covering 12 which lap or extend 'overthe under faces of the flanges 10. The strips 13 are clamped against the rubber covering 12 through the medium of hold-fast devices .such for instance, as screws'l i. By placing the-flanges 10 and the clamping stripsll3 above the. plane of the floor it-keeps all metal from engagement with'the floor and presents to the 'floor on which the ladder is rested only the cellular rubber covering of the median portion of the shoe so as to'provide a gripping surface ,for the engagement with the floor. The

sponge rubber provides an unusually efiiCacious and satisfactory gripping surface in connection with these ladder-shoes in that theygrip a 'weton otherwise slippery floor much more securely 'than'would be possible were any othermaterial employed, and in .fact, inore securely than if the ends of the stiles of the ladder are provided with sharpened points, as is nowlthe customary manner of holding a ladder againstslipping.

Vi e claim I A ladder shoe comprising a body portion of rigid material and provided with means I for pivotally attaching it to a ladder stile. said body portion provided with a central depending portion and further provided ing and said flanges for securing said cover- \YlLll a pair of lateral flanges positioned ing in position.

above the plane of the central portion of the shoe, :1 covering of vulcanized cellular rub- 5 her extending transversely from side to side of the under face of the shoe and covering the central depressed portions to provide a gripping surface and extending laterally over the under faces of said lateral flanges,

10 and hold-fast devices engaging said cover- I in testimony whereof We have hereunto set. our hands in presence of two SHbSCI'IbHIg witnesses.

CHARLES D. KLINE. EDWARD NALL. Witnesses:

VERNE A. SCHILLER, F. L. SIMMONS. 

